Sometime we can all use a laugh trying to deal with day-to-day and
life's
general trials and tribulations. Although the internet has made life a bit
easier for some questions, this church seems to have summed up its own
place
in our lives in a simple yet empowering statement.
One of our volunteers in Swaziland, Africa, Jennifer Hughes, has written a moving article about our effort in Swaziland. She has been touched by the children there and their stories. We are transforming Bulembu, an abandoned city in Swaziland, into a place of hope for thousands of orphans and widows so that they may have life. Our vision is to provide jobs, housing, medical care, and schools to those who have no other place of hope, and to turn the City on a Hill into a thriving place full of life. Jennifer has been in Swaziland for six months and is passionate about the people and work being done there.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word "Swaziland"? One teacher friend of mine exclaimed, "That sounds like Never Never Land. That's not a real place!" A fellow traveler, hearing that I was returning to the States from Swaziland, said, "That sounds like Disneyland." But it is a real place: a tiny, real country, landlocked between Mozambique and South Africa, trapped between the old and the new and not knowing which century or culture it really belongs to or how it's going to survive.
Swaziland claims the dubious record of having the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world: 43% of its total population of less than a million souls is infected, with 56% of its 25-29 year olds carrying the deadly virus. The current life expectancy is 33.6 years and declining. Over 120,000 orphans live in abject poverty, many of them abused, neglected, malnourished, abandoned, or living on the edge of survival. With a desire to create a "City on the Hill," Bulembu Ministries Swaziland was established to provide a hope and a future for the children of Swaziland, and as its name implies, Partners in Action is helping this ministry to bear much fruit.
Because this nation's hope truly lies in the lives of its youngest citizens, PIA provides financial support for the orphans in the Lighthouse homes. Part of the support goes to the Bulembu Valley of Hope Mission School, the centerpiece of our vision for educating a generation of godly leaders and skilled workers. Each child has his own story; we're there to help make their stories have happy endings, but we have a long way to go....
Travel with me to Bulembu, a beautiful 1930's British mining town nestled in the high veld mountains on the northwestern border of Swaziland. Children's laughter rises from the concrete block homes of former mine foremen. The homes are painted a cheerful light yellow and have bright red corrugated steel roofs. Caregivers call out to each other and to the children who respond cheerfully and (usually) immediately. Each of these children has a story, most of them full of pain beyond that which any human, let alone a child, should bear. Our vision is to help create happy endings for their stories....
Meet Mpendulo, a 13-year-old boy found living on the streets with his father. He's so malnourished that everything he does—walking, dressing, writing, eating, even speaking—he does in slow motion. And he's so tiny, you'd probably guess him to be about 6 or 7. He knows he has two sisters, and though he doesn't know where they are, he hopes they can come to Bulembu, too. We are providing him with the extra nutrition he needs so that he can realize his dream of "playing sports again." That means he has to eat peanut butter and eggs and tuna fish and lots of it, but he says he tries hard to eat everything his house mom makes for him! He's also receiving the medical care he needs so that he can overcome the debilitating effects of malnutrition. Daphne, a 60-year-old South African woman with a heart for Bulembu's children, reported that when she and other new Lighthouse children prayed specifically for Mpendulo, he sobbed because no one had ever cared enough to pray for him before!
Meet Sabelo, who at 14 couldn't even identify all the letters of the alphabet, let alone speak or read English (the language used in our curriculum and taught in all Swazi schools). With regular daily intervention, however, this bright young man is quickly adapting to his new surroundings and is learning to speak and read basic English. Although apparently shy (typical of someone limited in his ability to engage in conversation), he's quick to smile and works really hard at his studies. He takes his flashcards home to practice, and loves to try out my computer and my camera!
Meet Senzo, a feisty 5-year-old with a quick smile and even quicker feet! Coming to Bulembu last year with his older brother after losing both of their parents, speaking almost no English and suffering from neglect, he is now happily progressing through the ACE preschool program and can carry on a basic conversation in English—and boy, can he run fast! But his feet have grown, and he's still wearing last year's shoes....
These children live in homes with a house-mother and seven other children. We keep siblings together whenever possible. They operate as a family unit, with oversight provided by an auxiliary couple and the ministry team. They receive their school uniforms, nutritious food (which they learn to prepare themselves!), their own bed and clothing, a high-quality Christian education and, most importantly, lots of love and encouragement.
And the fruit is beginning to ripen: Precious, who had never been to school when she arrived last year, read a scripture verse without prompting at the memorial service for a little girl who died on Christmas day... three boys who had acted up in Sunday school came of their own accord to apologize and to say that they would be leaders by demonstrating upright behavior... Josh has joined the worship team at church and is blessing us with his accomplished guitar playing... several upper level students have exhibited exemplary behavior and study habits, and have been asked to act as prefects at school... 15-year-old Nontobeko is coming out of her shell and is learning to laugh and to read and write... and the list goes on. This may not be Disneyland or Never Never Land, but it is a place of hope and life and the light of Christ. I pray you'll join us in making the vision for Bulembu become a reality.
Read Dateline MSNBC’s News Story About a Home We Support in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Our partner organization, Be a Hero, recently had a featured news story on Mamma Jeanne’s Home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although we support homes in many countries that experience constant civil war, there are serious outbreaks of conflict occurring in the eastern part of the Congo that makes day-to-day living extremely dangerous. It’s a life not fit for any human being much less children, many of whom have lost their parents and family to war. We hope the exposure from Dateline on the plight of Mamma Jeanne’s will bring much needed attention to the people and children of the Congo who are so desperately in need help. To view the video or read the story transcript, please click here.
Child-rape Epidemic in South Africa Fueled by Widespread Belief that Sex with Virgin Cures AIDS
By Anthony C. LoBaido 2008 WorldNetDaily.com
There is a new urban legend spreading all over Africa that sex with a virgin will cure AIDS. Of course it is not true, but it poses a real life danger and threat to many African children. We support children in 12 African nations so this is yet another reason why we need to support those who cannot protect themselves.
A bizarre belief among many African black men that sex with a virgin -- even a child or baby -- can cure HIV/AIDS is fueling what is already one of the highest child sexual exploitation rates in the world.
According to the latest report by South Africa's Police Service, children are the victims of 41 percent of all rapes and attempted rapes reported in the country. Over 15 percent of all reported rapes are against children under 11, and another 26 percent against children 12-17. For the year 2000, some 58 children were raped or the victims of rape attempts in South Africa every single day.
The trend is worsening. Babies as young as only a few months old are being raped almost daily. Many black South African men infected with AIDS erroneously believe that by having sex with a virgin -- even a baby -- they will be cured of AIDS or their HIV infection.
South African police statistics show that last year alone, 21,538 rapes and attempted rapes of children under the age of 18 were reported. The KwaZulu-Natal province, which includes Durban, where concern has already been expressed over the sharp rise in child abuse cases, was top of the list with 4,797 reported cases in 2000, followed by Gauteng province (formerly Transvaal, which includes Johannesburg) with 4,316.
For the first six months of 2001, some 10,242 cases were reported, and once again KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest figure with 2,236, followed by Gauteng with 2,076.
This level of crime contrasts with 1994, for example, when a total of 7,559 cases were reported – about one third of the current level. The figure increased dramatically over the next three years and in 1997 stood at 15,336.
It is believed that a large percentage of incidents go unreported, and police have launched extensive campaigns to inform women and children of their rights.
Police said research conducted over the past five years indicated that in 83 percent of sexual abuse cases, the perpetrators were known to their victims.
"This story has been largely ignored by the mainstream media in the United States and the Western world, in order to perpetuate the Mandela myth of the wonderful New South Africa," said former Republic of South Africa military intelligence officer Koos Ven der Merwe.
And Debbie Coetzee, a South African police detective who specializes in rape cases told WND the situation for babies in South Africa will probably "get worse before it gets better."
"Did you ever read 'Heart of Darkness'?" she asked. "Well, we are way beyond that point and well on our way towards barbarism. Abortion, pornography, filthy TV shows and movies, lack of respect for women and children, coddling criminals and rapists, these have all contributed to this crisis."
Durban resident Marilyn Kemp described baby rape as a horrible problem that South Africans must begin to address. "Though people feel strongly about it, nothing still is being done to deter these men -- their sentences are light," she said. "I feel that only international publicity and fervent prayer will bring some results."
The incidents of baby rape in South Africa are truly horrifying. Reports by the South African Press Association contain items such as these:
On Nov. 11, a nine-month-old baby girl from Kimberley in the Northern Cape who survived a gang rape underwent a full hysterectomy and will require further surgery to repair intestinal damage, a hospital spokesperson said. The baby from Louisville was left unattended by her 16-year-old mother when six Upington men allegedly raped her. The baby had undergone a full hysterectomy and she suffered extensive damage to her colon and anus as well. The six men, aged between 22 and 66, appeared in the Kimberley Magistrates Court on charges of rape and indecent assault on Monday.
This past Halloween, on October 31, a month-old baby girl was raped, allegedly by her uncles, in Tweeling in the Eastern Free State. Police spokesperson Loraine Kalp said the mother of the child had left the baby in the care of the men when she went to visit her mother-in-law. Upon her return last night, she found the baby crying and as she lifted her, she saw blood on her bottom. She then took the baby to a clinic where she was told the girl had been raped and sustained vaginal damage. In other reported cases, rapists have gone beyond penile penetration, using objects including broken bottle tops, sticks, or harmful liquids that are pushed or inserted into the victim's vagina. But police now say these brutal criminals are sure to be arrested and positively linked to their crimes.
AIDS babies in garbage dump
Equally shocking is the growing phenomenon of black babies with AIDS being thrown away in dumps around the nation, say South Africa police intelligence officials.
South African social worker Fiona Brophy says she has had enough, and that she plans to spend five days living inside a black plastic garbage bag atop the rotting rubbish dump at the Athlone refuse transfer station to draw international attention to the terrifying and growing problem. Brophy will live inside a black plastic bag day and night without even basic amenities, say reports in the South African media.
Brophy wants to create awareness of the huge number of newborn babies dumped in rubbish bins or abandoned in desolate spots, and to help raise funds for a community-based home for AIDS orphans.
"I want to express solidarity with all those tiny children who never had a chance to live in this world, and to make all those desperate mothers aware that there are alternatives to dumping babies," she told SAPA, the South African Press Association.
Brophy, who works at Little Angels, a non-profit organization for abandoned babies and AIDS orphans, said it was the chilling death statistics found in forensic units -- like "female infant, full-term in black plastic bag, discovered next to container" -- that had prompted her to take action.
"Many of these babies can be saved and have thrived in the past with the right love and care," she said.
Brophy told the South African Press Association she became aware of the plight of abandoned babies when she started working at Little Angels, the home of Phillip and Pat van Rensburg who have cared for more than 70 abused, abandoned, or HIV-positive babies since 1997.
"I was so touched by the babies, even though some were there for such a short time. I started thinking of the ones who don't make it," said Brophy, who hopes to raise one million rand to support them with her dump demonstration.
The Renburgs told SAPA they believe that people should leave their unwanted babies at police stations, hospitals, welfare agencies, or contact Little Angels.
Hope for the Nations (HFTN) Romania has just introduced Videonews! by Mark and Coreen Biech
HFTN Romania has just introduced a new page on their site – Videonews! It's a collection of short videos taken with the volunteer's cell phones. This is a very quick and easy way to keep everyone connected with home renovations projects, new uplifting stories, and pictures of the children in hospital and foster care, and just fun and heartwarming day-to-day activities.
March 22, 2008
The kids in this short are youth from the Teen Orphanage. We had a chance to give them some paid work helping us move a LOT of supplies. They were AWESOME!
Sometime we can all use a laugh trying to deal with day-to-day and
life's
What comes to your mind when you hear the word "Swaziland"? One teacher friend of mine exclaimed, "That sounds like Never Never Land. That's not a real place!" A fellow traveler, hearing that I was returning to the States from Swaziland, said, "That sounds like Disneyland." But it is a real place: a tiny, real country, landlocked between Mozambique and South Africa, trapped between the old and the new and not knowing which century or culture it really belongs to or how it's going to survive.
Because this nation's hope truly lies in the lives of its youngest citizens, PIA provides financial support for the orphans in the Lighthouse homes. Part of the support goes to the Bulembu Valley of Hope Mission School, the centerpiece of our vision for educating a generation of godly leaders and skilled workers. Each child has his own story; we're there to help make their stories have happy endings, but we have a long way to go....
Meet Mpendulo, a 13-year-old boy found living on the streets with his father. He's so malnourished that everything he does—walking, dressing, writing, eating, even speaking—he does in slow motion. And he's so tiny, you'd probably guess him to be about 6 or 7. He knows he has two sisters, and though he doesn't know where they are, he hopes they can come to Bulembu, too. We are providing him with the extra nutrition he needs so that he can realize his dream of "playing sports again." That means he has to eat peanut butter and eggs and tuna fish and lots of it, but he says he tries hard to eat everything his house mom makes for him! He's also receiving the medical care he needs so that he can overcome the debilitating effects of malnutrition. Daphne, a 60-year-old South African woman with a heart for Bulembu's children, reported that when she and other new Lighthouse children prayed specifically for Mpendulo, he sobbed because no one had ever cared enough to pray for him before!
Meet Senzo, a feisty 5-year-old with a quick smile and even quicker feet! Coming to Bulembu last year with his older brother after losing both of their parents, speaking almost no English and suffering from neglect, he is now happily progressing through the ACE preschool program and can carry on a basic conversation in English—and boy, can he run fast! But his feet have grown, and he's still wearing last year's shoes....
And the fruit is beginning to ripen: Precious, who had never been to school when she arrived last year, read a scripture verse without prompting at the memorial service for a little girl who died on Christmas day... three boys who had acted up in Sunday school came of their own accord to apologize and to say that they would be leaders by demonstrating upright behavior... Josh has joined the worship team at church and is blessing us with his accomplished guitar playing... several upper level students have exhibited exemplary behavior and study habits, and have been asked to act as prefects at school... 15-year-old Nontobeko is coming out of her shell and is learning to laugh and to read and write... and the list goes on. This may not be Disneyland or Never Never Land, but it is a place of hope and life and the light of Christ. I pray you'll join us in making the vision for Bulembu become a reality.
Our partner organization, Be a Hero, recently had a featured news story on Mamma Jeanne’s Home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although we support homes in many countries that experience constant civil war, there are serious outbreaks of conflict occurring in the eastern part of the Congo that makes day-to-day living extremely dangerous. It’s a life not fit for any human being much less children, many of whom have lost their parents and family to war. We hope the exposure from Dateline on the plight of Mamma Jeanne’s will bring much needed attention to the people and children of the Congo who are so desperately in need help. To view the video or read the story transcript, please 
This level of crime contrasts with 1994, for example, when a total of 7,559 cases were reported – about one third of the current level. The figure increased dramatically over the next three years and in 1997 stood at 15,336. 
"Did you ever read 'Heart of Darkness'?" she asked. "Well, we are way beyond that point and well on our way towards barbarism. Abortion, pornography, filthy TV shows and movies, lack of respect for women and children, coddling criminals and rapists, these have all contributed to this crisis." 
Brophy wants to create awareness of the huge number of newborn babies dumped in rubbish bins or abandoned in desolate spots, and to help raise funds for a community-based home for AIDS orphans. 
